Public buildings in Tel Aviv to run on solar energy
by Yuval Azoulay
September 7, 2005
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/621858.html
All Tel Aviv public buildings that are refurbished or expanded
will be fitted to run on solar energy, the Tel Aviv municipal
council decided this week. This means that in the near future,
all public institutions that are under construction, being
refurbished or expanded will be required to adapt themselves
to operate using giant solar receptor panels that are around
20 sq. meters. Nonetheless, while the greens faction is
welcoming the decision and referring to it as "revolutionary,"
experts are cautioning that this is a costly process that will not
significantly change electricity consumption.
The decision was enthusiastically received by the greens faction,
whose members can already envision the solar panels installed
on the roofs of City Hall, Heichal Hatarbut, the Museum of Art,
schools and kindergartens. According to faction chairman and
deputy mayor Pe'er Wisner, the process will substantially
reduce electricity consumption, which he believes will lead to
a drop in air pollution stemming from electricity production
"As a result, the incidence of illness due to air pollution will also
drop, and the state's spending on treating such illnesses will be
reduced," says Wisner.
The greens are already preparing to set up a special committee
of experts in the field of solar energy which will try to make the
decision applicable within a few months.
"In some of the tenders issued by the municipality, we will
require a solar energy solution," says Wisner. "We will not allow
the Planning and Construction committee to approve structures
without such systems."
Solar energy is relatively developed in countries around the world
such as Japan, Germany, Spain and the United States.
Tel Aviv municipality officials feel that what is good for them can
also be good for us. Wisner dreams of an environmentally
sound vision emanating specifically from polluted Tel Aviv, and
one of his first targets is the City Hall building which is slated
for renovations soon.
"The east side of the building is the hot side, and there's also
a debate over who will have offices there," said one official.
"It's very hot on this side even when the air conditioning is on.
On this side, for example, we will install special receptors and
they will provide all the floors with the energy to run the
air conditioning."
However Haim Melamed, director of licensing and supervision
at the Ministry of National Infrastructure's electricity administration,
cast a shadow over the joy of the greens.
"The electricity production capacity of this type of energy will not
exceed 10 percent of total electricity consumption," he said.
"Even though it's very nice and trendy technology, it's very
complicated."
According to Melamed, the price of solar energy is more expensive
than that of the electricity currently supplied, and therefore the
municipality's decision will not immediately affect the electricity
economy. "However, this does signal a green light for the future,
and that's already good," he said.
The Greenpeace organization thinks otherwise. They say that in
sun-drenched Israel, solar energy can become feasible and efficient.
"The country has the natural resources to operate this technology,"
said Nili Grossman, director of Greenpeace's energy campaign.
"We have three times as much sun as Germany and there this
technology is developed."
According to a Greenpeace report, the widespread use of solar
energy will yield a surplus of $181 million for the Israeli economy.
According to Grossman, this debunks the "outdated" perception
that investment in solar energy is not worthwhile.